Interconnect Pipeline Project

Clarksville Gas & Water Department (CGW) is currently proceeding with the development of a new natural gas pipeline that will cross the Tennessee-Kentucky State line and connect their existing natural gas distribution system to the existing Texas Gas Transmission, LLC pipeline in Todd County, Kentucky. This new connection will provide CGW with a redundant natural gas feed to better serve its retail distribution system and approximately 28,000 retail customers.

The proposed natural gas interconnect distribution pipeline will be an approximately 23-miles long, 12-inch diameter epoxy coated steel pipeline. The pipeline will start from an area northeast of Clarksville, Tennessee and extend to the intersection with the Texas Gas Transmission, LLC pipeline in an area north of Elkton, Kentucky. The general location and route of the pipeline is shown below.

A CGW authorized land agent will be contacting landowners in Tennessee and Kentucky that are impacted by the pipeline route to acquire new land easements for the construction of the new natural gas pipeline. Landowners are entitled by law to receive compensation for having a pipeline on their property. It is our goal at CGW to work with landowners and reach agreement on property value and acquisition of the necessary easements.

The easement, or right of way agreement, will provide a permanent, limited interest in the land and enable CGW to construct, operate, inspect, maintain, repair, or replace the pipeline. In most cases, landowners will be able to use the property as they did before installation of the pipeline, although the easement area must be kept clear of obstructions.

For landowners, a CGW authorized land agent will be the primary contact for easement discussions. If the land agent is unable to address all of your concerns, please call:

Stephanie Burd of CGW at (931) 645-2565, ext. 1500 (office)

Construction and Operation

Safety is a priority during the construction and daily operations of the pipeline. All construction work will be supervised and inspected under stringent federal, state and company regulations. The pipeline will be designed and manufactured to meet or exceed government safety requirements using specially formulated high-strength epoxy coated steel pipe, buried at least 36-inches underground and at least 42-inches underground through cultivated fields. The pipeline is coated with special materials and is charged with a small amount of DC voltage to minimize corrosion. The pipeline is inspected and pressure tested at higher than normal operating pressures before putting it into service. After the pipeline is put into service, we continuously monitor operations through telemetry, post signs to indicate the location of the pipeline and provide emergency contact information. We also regularly patrol the pipeline and conduct operations and maintenance activities when necessary to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Regulatory Authorization

The proposed interconnect pipeline will cross the Tennessee-Kentucky state line and will require the oversight and approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC is the lead federal agency responsible, among other things, for:

Regulate of the transmission and sale of natural gas for resale in interstate commerce;

Approval of the siting and abandonment of interstate natural gas pipelines and storage facilities;

Oversight of environmental matters related to natural gas and other matters;

CGW will be using the FERC's pre-filing process as a means of seeking input from landowners, agencies, and stakeholders prior to the submittal of a formal application to the FERC. This pre-filing process gives landowners and stakeholders a forum to voice concerns and have input into the permitting process. As part of this pre-filing process, landowners and stakeholders will be receiving letters with project information and public open house meetings will be held to provide information on the project.

On August 23, 2013, Clarksville submitted a "pre-filing letter" regarding the pipeline project that initiated FERC Docket No. PF13-17. This docket number can be used to access project documents on the FERC e-library at the link below.

CGW is committed to maintaining open communication with the public through the design, development, construction, and operation of the interconnect pipeline. Public outreach methods, including this web-site, will be maintained and updated throughout the design, permitting, and construction of the new interconnect pipeline. Below is a list of established public outreach methods that will be utilized by CGW, and CGW encourages anybody interested in the project to attend and take advantage of these outreach methods.

Todd County Central High School
806 South Main Street
Elkton, KY 42220

Environmental and Cultural Protection

CGW is committed to protecting cultural and environmental resources, and will work with all federal, state, and local agencies to fully comply with the laws and regulations designed to protect threatened and endangered species, critical habitats, and historically significant sites.